“In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.”
Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson
For those of us with our feet planted more firmly on the ground our thoughts just may be turning to wine, specifically the wines of the latest Spring Releases. In this series of features, I will endeavour to update you on the new spring releases from some of my favourite British Columbia wineries.
For BC Wine lovers this is an exciting time of the year! So many new releases to discover and enjoy. These two wines, and the two wines in cans are much anticipated and I urge you to act on these fast!
2021 Tragically Vidal
The 2021 Tragically Vidal is slightly more tropical on the nose than the previous vintage but still perfumed with its classic orchard fruit, orange blossom and honey. The palate is full of ripe stone fruit, pineapple, melon, dried mango, bergamot and candied ginger. A lush, generous, and textural mouthfeel with an abundance of bright, acidity to balance the gentle nudge of residual sugar.
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
This year’s Tragically Vidal is an absolute delight on the nose. Perfumed notes of apple blossom and honeysuckle mingle with ripe tropical and orchard fruit notes; it’s like walking through an Okanagan orchard in the middle of August. The palate is full of ripe stone fruit, apples, pears and citrus, with a slight arrowroot biscuity note. A generous mouthfeel with an abundance of bright acidity to balance the gentle nudge of residual sugar.
Vineyard Notes
Stag’s Hollow Vineyard – Okanagan Falls (gravels & course glacial till) Parsons Vineyard – Okanagan Falls Shuttleworth Creek Vineyard – Okanagan Falls (gravels, glacial till & silty loam)
Production Notes
The fruit was destemmed and lightly crushed into the press, where the juice was gently pressed off and transferred into tank. After settling for 72 hours, the clarified juice was racked into another stainless steel tank and inoculated with a select yeast culture. It enjoyed a long, slow, cool ferment, preserving as much of the aromatics as possible, before stopping it prior to sugar dryness by chilling the wine to 0°C. As we have come to do over the last few vintages of Tragically Vidal, we blended a small portion of our Orange Muscat into it, further boosting the aromatics, and giving the wine a slightly more floral direction.
Winemaker Notes
We’ve found, over the 25 years of working with Vidal, that waiting until just after the first frost to pick seems to be the sweet spot. The grape’s tough skins finally soften enough to maximize flavour and aromatic expression, and there is a slight raisining that happens in certain pockets of the vineyard, that contribute to that beautiful honeyed bouquet. This year, as with the last vintage, we also included a small amount of skin-fermented Vidal to boost textural complexity on the palate. You’ll also notice that this fan favourite has gotten a bit of a makeover this year! A fresh new label design to highlight the wine’s fun and playful nature.
Food Pairing Notes
Classic: pork, chicken, duck, fruit salads, foie gras Adventurous: Cajun/Creole dishes, Thai food, Chinese food, Vietnamese food, Mexican food, coconut curries, Indian food
Other Notes
96% Vidal, 4% Orange Muscat 630 cases produced
The 2021 Tragically Vidal won Double Gold at the Great Northwest Wine Cascadia International Wine Competition!
Once thought a “tragic” grape many years ago when most of it was pulled from the valley, quickly became our founder’s most popular white wine. Quite opposite to its moniker, this playful wine is elegant, fruity, aromatic, and an absolute stunner.
The most wonderful fruit scents followed by candy, birthday cake. The aromas are deliciously ripe fruit.These intoxicating scents follow the nose on the palate with intense acidity and hints of spice and pepper. In a word “WOW”
2021 Syrah Rosé
This wine is as beautiful to drink as it is to look at. The grapes, grown specifically with this wine in mind, are truly the star of the show here. Syrah lends captivating aromatics and structure to this rosé each year. It seems absolutely crazy to me that more Okanagan wineries aren’t taking advantage of the grape’s delicate side in this way. In the cellar, we intervene as minimally as possible, and by doing so, we’re able to achieve a really harmonious and varietally-expressive rosé.
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Aromas of wild strawberries and cream jump out of the glass, and are joined by a burst of ripe watermelon, grapefruit, and white pepper. The palate is refreshingly dry and satisfyingly savoury. Delicate in colour, perhaps, but not without substance; this rosé is mouth-filling and textural, with juicy acidity and a gentle tannin structure that bring both balance and focus to the wine.
Vineyard Notes
Amalia Vineyard, Osoyoos West Bench (Sandy loam) – Syrah
Production Notes
Our dedicated rosé blocks were hand-harvested, sorted, destemmed and pressed immediately; minimizing maceration time as much as possible. The pale juice was transferred gently into a stainless steel tank, where it was cold settled for 48 hours, and then racked, warmed and inoculated with a selected yeast strain. The ferment was kept cool (under 13C) in order to maximize aromatic expression, and was racked and chilled upon completion. The wine was then stabilized, filtered and bottled.
Winemaker Notes
This wine is as beautiful to drink as it is to look at. The grapes, grown specifically with this wine in mind, are truly the star of the show here. Syrah lends captivating aromatics and structure to this rosé each year. It seems absolutely crazy to me that more Okanagan wineries aren’t taking advantage of the grape’s delicate side in this way. In the cellar, we intervene as minimally as possible, and by doing so, we’re able to achieve a really harmonious and varietally-expressive rosé.
Food Pairing Notes
Classic: Mediterranean flavours (think olive oil, seafood & fresh vegetables), canapés and hors d’oeuvres, summer salads, white meats, salmon. Adventurous: Turkey dinner, sushi & sashimi, Middle Eastern cuisine, Mexican dishes, Indian curries.
Other Notes
180 cases produced
Light scents of strawberry, a tiny bit of a must with Yakima cherries. A perfect combination of juicy fruit flavours. Crisp, clean with good acidity. Another winner!
Syrah Rosé in cans
Nothing says Spring quite like our Syrah Rosé – now in 250 ml cans! Just releasedand available in 4-packs only at our Wine Shop.
Aromas of wild strawberries and cream jump out of the can, joined by a burst of ripe watermelon, grapefruit, and white pepper. The palate is refreshingly dry and satisfyingly savoury.
We’re open all weekend from 12 to 4pm for tastings and the rest of the week for drop-in sales.
2021 Muscat Frizzante
Our Muscat Frizzante cans are available for online sales with shipping by the flat only – six 4-packs of cans for a total of $192 + tax & deposit. To order, please contact the winery directly at 877-746-5569.
Light and spritzy, with perfumed aromas of orange blossom, jasmine, lime zest and nectarine. Prepared Brut, the palate is crisp with none of the obvious sweetness that can sometimes be associated with Muscat. Balanced acidity with flavours of stone fruit, honeysuckle, Asian pear, and a distinct floral quality that carries through from the nose to the lengthy finish.
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Light and spritzy, with perfumed aromas of orange blossom, jasmine, lime zest and nectarine. Prepared Brut, the palate is crisp with none of the obvious sweetness that can sometimes be associated with Muscat. Balanced acidity with flavours of stone fruit, honeysuckle, Asian pear, and a distinct floral quality that carries through from the nose to the lengthy finish.
Vineyard Notes
Shuttleworth Creek Vineyard (Okanagan Falls Sub-GI), Stag’s Hollow Vineyard (Okanagan Falls Sub-GI)
Production Notes
Each lot was hand-harvested, sorted, destemmed and pressed. The juice was transferred gently into individual stainless steel tanks, where it was cold settled for 72 hours, and then racked, warmed and inoculated with selected yeast strains. All ferments were kept cool, in order to maximize aromatic expression, and were racked and chilled upon completion. All pieces were then blended, and the final wine was stabilized, filtered and canned with in-line carbonation.
Winemaker Notes
A fresh and vibrant wine with bright, natural acidity, and a fun spritz that’s fitting for any occasion. Usually the first to be harvested, and the first to be bottled each year, our Muscat Frizzante is always an exciting glimpse at the quality that the new vintage promises. This year we included a small amount of estate-grown Albariño, instead of Riesling to boost the acidity and aromatics, as well as add some texture to the palate.
Food Pairing Notes
Classic: Perfect all on its own as an aperitif, our Frizzante also pairs well with fresh fruit, fruit salad, pastries, charcuterie & cheese platters, breakfast & brunch dishes, fish, oysters and salads. Adventurous: spicy Asian dishes, creamy sauces, potato chips and fried foods
Other Notes
Varietals: 53% Orange Muscat, 38% Muscat Ottonel, 9% Albariño 600 Flats
Stag’s Hollow Winery, Celebrating 25 Years
“We aim to honour the hard work done in the vineyards by taking every measure available to us to handle the grapes as minimally as possible in order to produce terroir-driven wines that reflect a sense of place.”
Wine profiles and images courtesy of the winery. My notes (in italics). I received complimentary wine to facilitate this feature.
